History 64/65 Comets old drag cars lets see pictures

# 11

Tom Coward Comet

 

# 12

George delorean Wynns enginering Comet

 

# 13 The McCoy Comet




















Auction: SCOTTSDALE 2003
Sale Price: *$57,200.00
Year: 1964
Make: MERCURY
Model: COMET
Style: A/FX HARDTOP
Exterior Color: WHITE
Interior Color: RED
Cylinders: 0
Engine Size: 0
Transmission:
Summary: 427/425hp with 4-speed transmission. One of only 21 Factory A/FX cars produced.
Details: THIS CAR IS ONE OF 21 CARS. FACTORY A/FX CARS. TOTAL RESTORATION, ALL CORRECT PARTS

 

# 14

Jake Howard Premier Motors Comet

 

# 15

Preston Lincoln Mercury Dick Hoffman

 

# 16

Marks Mobole Home Ultimate A/fx Bill McDuell Comet

 

# 17

Speedway Comet Louis Zangara

 

# 18

Md North Comet

 

# 19

Spencer Motors Hanpden, Va Comet

 

# 20

Cecil County Comet

Sorry no pic Not even sure, Ive seen the picture of it sitting underneath the tower at Cecil County Dragway with Cecil County on the side. Couldnt get a copy of it.


Thats my guess Who knows who # 20 is

looking up the info on this # but for now we will put it here as an example of a day one Mercury A/FX Comet.




# 20

Ray Sullins Dean Hook Motors "Hemi Hunter"



Turning into the Dixie Jumper





# 21

Laughlin Miles Lincoln Mercury A/fx Comet Out of Alton, Illinois.
Driver Jess Woodman


















A significant event occurred in factory sponsored drag racing for the 1964 season when Chevrolet announced that they would no longer provide factory support for drag racing. In an effort to capitalize on this news, Lincoln Mercury entered into drag racing with a special race prepared 1964 Comet. The first order of business was for their newly established race division director Fran Hernandez to hire top Chevrolet Super Stock drivers Don Nicholson and Ronnie Sox to drive the Mercury Comets in the A/FX class during the upcoming season.

The decision was made to run the Comets in the A/FX class so they would not compete directly with the S/S Ford Thunderbolts. Due to success of the Thunderbolts Mercury would use the same pattern to build the new Comets at Dearborn Steel Tubing. The modifications included widening the shock towers and the upper control arm mounting points to accommodate the 427 High Riser engines. It was equipped with a four speed transmission and a heavy duty 9 inch rear end in order to handle the powerful 427 engine. To lighten up the Comet, the fenders, hood, doors and front bumper were all made of Fiberglass. The interior was stripped of the heater and radio and equipped with light weight buckets seats as seen in the Thunderbolts.

Twenty A/FX Comets were built by Dearborn Steel Tubing plus one unique Comet station wagon. The special wagon was picked up by Don Nicholson at the same time as VIN 4H23 551850 from the Detroit Steel Tubing Lincoln Mercury garage. (Jess Woodman purchased the vehicle through Laughlin Miles Lincoln Mercury of Alton, Illinois whereas Nicholson was supplied his for a nominal sum by Lincoln Mercury.) The station wagon was to test the idea if it were possible for a longer overhanging rear end to supplement the recent vehicle’s the traction. The station wagon was also equipped with the 427 –ci High Riser engine, rated at 425 hp at 6,000 rpm and 480 ft pounds of torque at 2,700 rpm. The station wagon weighed 3,340 pounds compared with the coupes weighing in at 3,085 pounds.

# 22

The YANKEE MERCURY A/FX COMET Seattle, Wa.

 

Can we use your 64 as the honerary #20 car, until a photo appears?

 

Eric

Are ready to start a Comet project yet? Lets go get that Cyclone in Indiana and get on it. The pics should of got you motivated. Earl says its a go.

 

"a hunnert pages" sounds good guy's. Thanks to all for contributing to my "Comet on the Brain" issue,and keeping my dream of owning a '65cyclone alive!

 

Thanks for all of the shots of the Comet over the years. I grew up in the Atlanta area and spent most of my young years at Dallas Dragstrip and was able to see Dyno Don on an almost weekly basis.
Needless to say, he was my hero. After his wife became ill and had to sit in the truck, I would go by and talk to her as she was a very nice lady.

I will post a few shots shortly of the motor and progress.

I need rear window trim, driprail mouldings, and lower roof trim (located at the top of the quarter panel). I am told that it is not reproduced for the 202 (not much demand) so I am looking for good used if anyone knows where these items are located.

Glad to know that there are fellow Comet fans around.

Thanks

Donnie

 

Keep the pics and stories coming guys. Any info on the yellow 65, I see B/FX on the window but read some where that it is a big block.
Roger

 

Good to see the pics of the original '64 A/FX comets. I've seen info that named some other ones as originally being run back then.--Jess Woodman in the Laughlin Miles Mercury --"Countdown III"; Ray Sullins in the Dean Hook Motors car out of Arkansas, the Yankee Lincoln Mercury comet out of Seattle. Where would they fit in on your list? Syl

 

My buddy Tony Conover had this one at Bruce Larson's yesterday. It sounded real good when it left the show area!!

Great list of cars Ken!!

 

I was hoping to generate some more history.I'm not even sure my list is accurate. I too have heard of the Yankee Lincoln Mercury comet out of Seattle, That may be my # 20. Hoping someone has a pic of it.Heres some others I have heard of but no pics.

Yankee Lincoln mercury
Dean Hook Hemi Hunter 64 comet
Jess ? McGlocklin Miles 64 Comet
Dan Weis/Joe Weis Manchester, Va 64 Comet
Houston Platt A&E 64 Comet
Syndney Foster ?
Jess Martin ?

Just found a pic of the ray sullins Dean hook motors " Hemi Hunter" 64 Comet.
I'll put this in the 20 spot.



While I was Digging it looks like the Ray Sullins Comet became the Dixie Jumper after it was altered.

 

Great pictures, Ken. I have always liked Mercury Comets. My first car was a '67 Caliente, but it is long gone now. Your '64 inspires me to want to build a similiar car. I've been looking!

Mike

 

Roger,

the yellow car is kirk neighbor (as it says on the window).
I talked with kirk about a month ago and he told me it was a cammer motor in the car.
I have known him for many years and everything he ownes has a cammer.

Jim,

tell your dad i said hello. He gave me some pointers when i first started running nitro. Always thought he was a great guy.

Donnie

 

Thanks Donnie, I would like to see a pic of the engine. Cammer-injected-set back-in a 65 very cool on my comet scale.
Roger

 

Roger;the new N/SS rules and class designations are different than in the 60s.The classes are ET based,usually at .25 second intervals.Kurt's Comet has a Cammer set back behind the shock towers!!!I believe all the N/SS organizations require a big block,stock type front suspension,no full tube frames,10.5 or 10.5W slicks,among other items. ROY.

 

Ken;you have WAAAAAY too much time sitting around looking up all this great Comet info and pictures!!!! I was told by an original A/FX Comet owner[at Carlisle 04] that 20-22 64s were built,not counting any independent cars.I thought they were built at Bill Stroppe's in Long Beach,CA.,not at DST.ROY.

 

Donnie;I may be able to help you on the missing trim.I will call on it tomorrow.There is a trick to putting the rear window in as new rubber is not made for the 65 sedan. ROY.

 

Here is a shot of the cammer motor for the comet!
This shot is on georgia dragracing.com.
I will have a couple more when i can get to my files.

Donnie

 

Pretty sure I used to own this car. I bought it in 1973, as a shell, for $125. It had no front end, no rear axel. The wheel base had been altered and it had a narrowed econoline straight axel. It was painted light blue and was named "Vociferous". It also had lettered "Tatum -Remy Ford, Boonville, Arkansas" on the rear quarters.

I was given a picture of the car much as it appears here. It was lettered with "Dean Hook Mercury" and Ray Sullins as the driver.

Another story I was told about the car was it ran with a injected Nitro 392 Chrysler and a torqueflite for a time after it had gone the altered wheel base - straight axel route.

I bought the Comet from a friend in Tulsa, who bought it from Mike Davidson in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Mike owned (maybe still does) Speed Equipment World in Ft. Smith. Mike had also briefly managed the Razorback Drag Strip in Ft. Smith. I was told Mike put some sort of 427 F.E. motor in the car, with a four speed, and first time out the car stood on the bumper and Mike parked it and stripped everything off of it.

I have pictures of the car with the blue paint, but I'll have to dig them up. I also have a newspaper story about the car being match raced at Razorback, and I think it had a picture as well. I'll see if I can find that stuff.

Here is a picture of the car as I bracket raced it in 1975, with a 428 C.J and a C-6.

 

That is what I was hoping for.Thanks for posting.So where did the car go after you sold it? Any more pics? Would be curious about how the car drove.Looks like it was a handfull. What kind of times were you getting? Awesome stuff

 

I was 17 when I built this car. My drag racing friends were Ford guys, so they helped quite a bit. It wasn't that hard to get cheap Ford stuff in 1974. I had transmission problems most of the time, so it wasn't that fast, mid 12's at 110. I think I remember getting an 11 one time when the trans hit all three gears. It drove OK.

But I really wanted a dragster, so I sold it to a guy in Arkansas, less motor and trans, for $100 and a set of big block Chevy boat headers. He told me years later that he used it in "longest black mark" contest near his home in Mansfield, Arkansas. He also said he drove it down the highway a lot and it got impounded by the AHP.

Around 1984 I got a call from Brent Hajek, I had been told the car was setting in a field and I gave Brent the info I had. Also sent Brent the pictures I had of the car when it was the Dean Hook car. Never got them back.

I was told Brent bought the car. Not sure who's car he decided it was. But of course we know who's it was!

 

Ive never been to Brents museum.I'm only 6-7 hours away I need to go.Its too bad a guy cant find a find like that nowadays.Thanks for the info.A lot of the cars seems to have been lost in the late 70's early 80's.Love to hear what the cars were doing at that time frame.I'm curious what the car looks like now.

The Dixie Stomper is suppose to have been inspired from the Dixie Jumper.

 

I think the cars are out there, but most of them left are ether known of or in my case the guys are no longer with us and the DMV does not give out the info on the cars history.